The E.R.: The State Department’s #MeToo Moment

Beginning with film producer Harvey Weinstein, wave after wave of stories have taken on men in every industry: from newsrooms to Hollywood to Silicon Valley. Now, it's the State Department's turn.

Shelbie Bostedt

March 8, 2018

The State Department seal on the podium before a photo opportunity from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, June 9 in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Since October of last year, women in the United States and around the world have been speaking out and sharing stories of harassment and sexual assault. Beginning with film producer Harvey Weinstein, wave after wave of stories have taken on men in every industry: from newsrooms to Hollywood to Silicon Valley.

Government institutions, too, are beginning to take stock of what has taken place in their ranks. It hasn’t always gone well. On March 5, Foreign Policy published a piece written by FP reporters Emily Tamkin and Robbie Gramer detailing a culture of secrecy and denial within the State Department regarding claims of sexual harassment and abuse.

In their reporting, Tamkin and Gramer interviewed current and former State Department officials who “describe a culture in which patriotism and pursuit of the diplomatic mission meant ignoring or downplaying complaints of harassment. They recount sexual harassment, assault, bullying, and rape inside an institution long dominated by men.”

This week on The E.R., host Sarah Wildman, FP’s print editor, is joined by Emily Tamkin and Jenna Ben-Yehuda. Ben-Yehuda is the founder of the Women’s Foreign Policy Network and a national security professional who spent 12 years at the State Department. Follow her on Twitter: @jenna_dc